Cycle Amsterdam to Bruges
Cycle Amsterdam to Bruges
$1202
Cycle Amsterdam to Bruges
8 Days Starting in Amsterdam and ending in Bruges
Visiting: Belgium
Tour Overview
When it comes to self guided cycling holidays the cities and countryside of the Netherlands and Belgium are ideal for this flexible style of travel. This itinerary follows quality cycle paths past the delightful towns, villages and canals that the countries are famous for and will take you to regions you might otherwise never discover. Starting in the dynamic city of Amsterdam, where you should allow time to explore its many fine museums, you'll ride south to the Green Heart of the country, through some of the most picturesque, well preserved and evocative towns of the Netherlands and Flanders including the cheese capital of Gouda and the fortified town of Willemstad. The ride will also see you take in the famous Kinderdijk windmills, polders and nature reserves en-route to the Belgium city of Bruges, the pearl of the Flanders region.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrive Amsterdam
Make your own way to Amsterdam and check into the first hotel. Amsterdam is one of the crown jewels of Europe and there is so much to see and do here. If you arrive early make sure you go for a walk to marvel at the 17th century townhouses and warehouses in the World Heritage listed canal district. The Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Vondelpark or a canal cruise are just some of Amsterdam’s ‘must-do’s’. We can assist booking with pre-tour accommodation on request. Amsterdam gets very busy, we recommend booking well in advance.
Day 2 : Cycle Through The Green Heart Of Holland To Gouda (68Km/42Mi)
From bustling Amsterdam you plunge into the peace and quiet of the “Groene Hart” or Green Heart, a pleasant rural area of low-lying polders with peat meadows and grazing cattle. It’s a flat, open, spacious landscape where church spires and windmills touch the horizon and clouds are reflected in lakes and canals. Continuing your bike ride through a typically Dutch polder landscape with grassland criss-crossed by ditches and canals, you'll pass small farming communities and picturesque historical towns such as Oudewater. Oudewater is famous for it Heksenwaag (or Witches Weighhouse) where women accused of witchcraft were weighed to prove their innocence. The last leg is to the market town of Gouda. For the Dutch, Gouda is inextricably linked to cheese, candles, syrup waffles and a lovely historical centre. We recommend an evening stroll to soak up the yesteryear atmosphere and marvel at the large and attractive market square boasting a wonderful fifteenth century town hall as well as a Weighing House (“Waag”). Overnight Gouda*
* Due to limited availability, if we are unable to accommodate in Gouda, we will book an overnight in the towns of Bodegraven, Oudewater or Woerden.
Day 3 : Continue Past Kinderdijk Windmills To Papendrecht (38Km/23.5Mi)
During today’s cycle you will visit one of the Netherland’s most popular attractions - Kinderdijk. 19 historical windmills line the canal in the epitome of classic Dutch countryside. In Kinderdijk you can visit an authentic workshop and find out how these windmills were built and how they work. Your destination, Papendrecht, is just a ferry crossing away from of one of Holland’s oldest towns: Dordrecht, which is completely surrounded by rivers. Beautiful bridges take you across the water into the heart of town, and around the harbour you will see many monumental buildings.
The hotel in Papendrecht is just 3km from the centre of Dordrecht, on the northern banks of the river.
Day 4 : Cycle To Willemstad (65Km/40Mi)
The result of a major flood in 1421, Biesbosch is one of the few remaining wetland habitats in Europe where the ecosystem has adapted both to saltwater coming in from the sea through tidal creeks, and to freshwater coming down in the rivers. It’s an ever changing labyrinth of creeks and riverlets encompassing countless little islands of willow woods and reeds, a paradise for birds. The ride takes you along the edges of this National Park. Round off the day in Willemstad, a fortified town shaped like a seven-point star.
Please note you will only cycle through the Biesbosch park on days that the ferry departs. It does not operate daily. If the ferry does not operate you will follow an alternative route.
Day 5 : Enter Zeeland, Where Ferry Rides Are Interspersed With Cycling (50Km/31Mi)
Today you will enter Zeeland, a province of the Netherlands marked by light, wind,
water and lots of space. It is made up of islands so bridges and ferries will be carrying you across the waters as you head towards Belgium. Picture-book towns with ancient houses and cobbled streets are lined up for the coming days. Traverse a patchwork landscape of vast polders, idyllic countryside, rolling dunes and golden sand flats. Overnight in Noordgouwe or Zierikzee.
Day 6 : Cycle Via Veere To Middelburg/Vlissingen (43Km/26.6Mi)
A wander down the narrow streets of Zierikzee is an absolute delight. Quaint little old houses take you back in time to the town’s glory days when ships set sail to sell salt, wool, fish, grain and red dye as far afield as the Baltic and the Mediterranean. Today your route continues to the charming village of Veere. From 1541 everything that was exported from Scotland to Holland (mainly wool) came ashore here and was distributed from Veere. This contract brought the town not only prosperity but also a very lively Scottish expat community that stayed for 300 years. Walk in their footsteps as you take a tour of the sights. Heading further south, you will discover the nostalgic splendour of Middelburg, the capital of Zeeland. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was one of the most important centres of trade in the Netherlands. Overnight in Middelburg or, dependent on availability, Vlissingen further towards the coast.
Day 7 : Take A Ferry To Zeelandic Flanders And Cycle To Bruges In Belgium (66Km/41Mi)
After a hearty breakfast, hop on a ferry boat at Vlissengen to Zeelandic Flanders, with its winding country roads, pollard willows, wet meadows and scattered villages.
(The ferry crossing from Vlissingen to Breskens must be reserved online in advance, link provided on booking).
Having crossed the border into Belgium, you will reach the charming little town of Damme on the banks of the romantic Damse Vaart. From here, it’s only a short stretch to Bruges, known as the pearl of Flanders! It’s a truly enchanting town that has been welcoming tourists for about 150 years. With most of its medieval architecture intact, it remains exceptionally well preserved and will give you a sense of times gone by when it was the centre of the European wool and cloth trade. Overnight in Bruges.
Day 8 : Trip Concludes
The trip concludes this morning in Bruges after breakfast. We can assist with extra nights accommodation on request, please ask for our rates.
What's Included
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Accommodation
hotels -
7 breakfasts: Breakfasts are continental style and will usually consist of breads, cheese, ham, tea, coffee & juices
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7 nights in 3 to 4 star hotels on a twin share basis with private facilities
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24 speed hybrid rental bike with pannier, helmet, repair kit and lock (e-bikes available - supplement applies)
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Luggage Transfer, 1 piece maximum 20kg, supplement applies for excess
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Information pack provided digitally including route notes & navigational app for use with your smartphone, and a printed pack at the joining hotel.
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Emergency hotline
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Travel to Amsterdam and from Bruges
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Meals not listed as included, drinks
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Travel insurance - mandatory
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E-bike hire, supplement applies
What's Not Included
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All drinks, lunches and dinners. A dinner package can be booked which includes a 3 course dinner each night - supplement applies
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Entrance fees
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Guide - this is a self guided tour
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Ferries - allow 1 to 4 EUR per ferry, transfers
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GPS device - available for rent (supplement applies), bike breakdown and Bike insurance - can be pre-purchased through UTracks, please ask for our rates
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Excess luggage - supplement applies. Each piece of extra luggage will be charged a supplement. Luggage cannot be heavier than 20kgs due to work safety rules.
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Ferries - allow 1 to 5 EUR per ferry, transfers
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All drinks, lunches and dinners
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GPS device - available for rent (supplement applies)
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Bike breakdown and Bike insurance - can be pre-purchased through UTracks, please ask for our rates
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Handlebar phone holder – to follow the route more easily using the app
Grading
This trip involves 7 days cycling between 37 and 66km/23 and 41mi per day usually along paved cycle paths and quiet county roads across generally flat terrain. Only towards the end of the tour does the terrain become slightly hilly. The well-posted cycle route is generally low traffic and often car-free. In and out of the cities there will be some traffic. You need only carry your camera
ain gear and water bottle. Your luggage is transported for you between hotels/inns. The trip is suitable for beginners who have a good level of fitness. *For safety reasons, we insist that cycle helmets be included as a compulsory item on your equipment list and we do provide one for each client.
What You Carry
During the cycle day you will carry your daily requirements in the pannier provided with the bike. This may include your lunch, wet weather gear, mobile phone and water. A small daypack which can be kept inside the pannier is useful for sightseeing.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
UTracks allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform utracks, 70 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
UTracks requires a minimum deposit of 150 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 70 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of utracks charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 69 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 35 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.